Chefs Michael Cimarusti, Jeremy Fox, Ludo Lefebvre and Travis Lett lead L.A.'s James Beard Award nominees - Los Angeles Times
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Chefs Michael Cimarusti, Jeremy Fox, Ludo Lefebvre and Travis Lett lead L.A.’s James Beard Award nominees

From left, Los Angeles James Beard Award nominees Travis Lett of Gjelina, Jeremy Fox of Rustic Canyon, Michael Cimarusti of Providence and Ludo Lefebvre of Trois Mec.
From left, Los Angeles James Beard Award nominees Travis Lett of Gjelina, Jeremy Fox of Rustic Canyon, Michael Cimarusti of Providence and Ludo Lefebvre of Trois Mec.
(Bob Chamberlin, Kirk McKoy, Mariah Tauger, Ricardo DeAratanha/ Los Angeles Times)
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Los Angeles chefs and restaurants earned nominations for four major awards in the 2017 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards, announced Tuesday during a breakfast at Suzanne Goin’s A.O.C. restaurant. Nominees and awards are chosen by culinary professionals and media around the country.

Michael Cimarusti (Providence and Connie and Ted’s), Jeremy Fox (Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen), Ludo Lefebvre (Trois Mec, Petit Trois, Trois Familia) and Travis Lett (Gjelina and Gjusta) were all nominated for best chef West. Margarita Manzke of Republique was nominated for outstanding pastry chef and Caroline Styne of the Lucques Group (Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern, etc.) was nominated for outstanding restaurateur.

Goin and Evan Kleiman, host of KCRW’s “Good Food†and frequent contributor to The Times food section, were named inductees into the James Beard Foundation Who’s Who of Food and Beverage in America. Also, Times restaurant critic Jonathan Gold has been nominated for the Craig Claiborne Distinguished Restaurant Review Award, an award he has won more than once before.

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The winners will be announced May 1 during a gala in Chicago.

2017 James Beard Foundation Restaurant and Chef Awards nominees

Best new restaurant: In Situ, San Francisco; Le Coucou, New York City; Olmsted, Brooklyn; Pineapple and Pearls, Washington, D.C.; Tartine Manufactory, San Francisco.

Outstanding baker: Ken Forkish, Ken’s Artisan Bakery, Portland, Ore.; Mark Furstenberg, Bread Furst, Washington, D.C.; Zachary Golper, Bien Cuit, Brooklyn; Belinda Leong and Michel Suas, B. Patisserie, San Francisco; Greg Wade, Publican Quality Bread, Chicago.

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Outstanding bar program: Arnaud’s French 75 Bar, New Orleans; Bar Agricole, San Francisco; Clyde Common, Portland, Ore.; Cure, New Orleans; the Dead Rabbit, New York City.

Outstanding chef: Gabrielle Hamilton, Prune, New York City; David Kinch, Manresa, Los Gatos, Calif.; Christopher Kostow, the Restaurant at Meadowood, St. Helena, Calif.; Donald Link, Herbsaint, New Orleans; Michael Solomonov, Zahav, Philadelphia.

Outstanding pastry chef: Kelly Fields, Willa Jean, New Orleans; Maura Kilpatrick, Oleana, Cambridge, Mass.; Margarita Manzke, République, Los Angeles; Dolester Miles, Highlands Bar & Grill, Birmingham, Ala.; Ghaya Oliveira, Daniel, New York City.

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Outstanding restaurant: Frasca Food and Wine, Boulder, Colo.; Highlands Bar and Grill, Birmingham, Ala.; Momofuku Noodle Bar, New York City; Quince, San Francisco; the Spotted Pig, New York City; Topolobampo, Chicago.

Outstanding restaurateur: Kevin Boehm and Rob Katz, Boka Restaurant Group (Boka, Girl & the Goat, Momotaro, and others), Chicago; JoAnn Clevenger, Upperline, New Orleans; Ken Oringer, Uni, Toro, Coppa, and others, Boston; Stephen Starr, Starr Restaurants (Le Coucou, Serpico, Upland, and others), Philadelphia; Caroline Styne, the Lucques Group (Lucques, A.O.C., Tavern, and others), Los Angeles.

Outstanding service: Blue Hill at Stone Barns, Pocantico Hills, N.Y.; Galatoire’s Restaurant, New Orleans; Marea, New York City; Terra, St. Helena. Zahav, Philadelphia.

Outstanding wine program: Benu, San Francisco; Canlis, Seattle; Emeril’s New Orleans; Fig, Charleston, S.C.; Miller Union, Atlanta.

Outstanding wine, beer or spirits professional: Sam Calagione, Dogfish Head Craft Brewery, Milton, Del.; Diane Flynt, Foggy Ridge Cider, Dugspur, Va.; Miljenko Grgich, Grgich Hills Estate, Rutherford, Calif.; Aldo Sohm, Zalto, Glass, New York City; Rob Tod, Allagash Brewing Co., Portland, Maine.

Rising star chef of the year: Camille Cogswell, Zahav, Philadelphia; Zachary Engel, Shayam, New Orleans; Matt Rudofker, Momofuku Ssäm Bar, New York City; Jenner Tomaska, Next, Chicago; Brady Williams, Canlis, Seattle.

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Best chef Great Lakes: Abraham Conlon, Fat Rice, Chicago; Sarah Grueneberg, Monteverde, Chicago; Beverly Kim and Johnny Clark, Parachute, Chicago; Lee Wolen, Boka, Chicago; Erling Wu-Bower, Nico Osteria, Chicago.

Best chef mid-Atlantic: Amy Brandwein, Centrolina, Washington, D.C.; Tom Cunanan, Bad Saint, Washington, D.C.; Rich Landau, Vedge, Philadelphia; Greg Vernick, Vernick Food & Drink, Philadelphia; Cindy Wolf, Charleston, Baltimore.

Best chef Midwest: Steven Brown, Tilia, Minneapolis; Justin Carlisle, Ardent, Milwaukee; Jorge Guzman, Brewer’s Table at Surly Brewing Co., Minneapolis; Kevin Nashan, Sidney Street Cafe, St. Louis; Kevin Willmann, Farmhaus, St. Louis.

Best chef New York City: Marco Canora, Hearth; Anita Lo, Annisa; Ignacio Mattos, Estela; Missy Robbins, Lilia, Brooklyn; Jody Williams, Buvette Gastrothèque.

Best chef Northeast: Karen Akunowicz, Myers + Chang, Boston; Cassie Piuma, Sarma, Somerville, Mass.; Susan Regis, Shepard, Cambridge, Mass.; Benjamin Sukle, Birch, Providence, R.I.; Andrew Taylor and Mike Wiley, Eventide Oyster Co., Portland, Maine.

Best chef Northwest: Greg Denton and Gabrielle Quiñónez Denton, Ox, Portland, Ore.; Edouardo Jordan, Salare, Seattle; Katy Millard, Coquine, Portland, Ore.; Justin Woodward, Castagna, Portland, Ore.; Rachel Yang and Seif Chirchi, Joule, Seattle.

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Best chef South: Vishwesh Bhatt, Snackbar, Oxford, Miss.; Nina Compton, Compère Lapin, New Orleans; Jose Enrique, Jose Enrique, San Juan, Puerto Rico; Slade Rushing, Brennan’s, New Orleans; Rebecca Wilcomb, Herbsaint, New Orleans.

Best chef Southeast: John Fleer, Rhubarb, Asheville, N.C.; Edward Lee, 610 Magnolia, Louisville, Ken.; Steven Satterfield, Miller Union, Atlanta; Ryan Smith, Staplehouse, Atlanta; Andrew Ticer and Michael Hudman, Memphis, Tenn..

Best chef Southwest: Bryce Gilmore, Barley Swine, Austin, Texas; Steve McHugh, Cured, San Antonio; Hugo Ortega, Hugo’s, Houston; Steve Redzikowski, Acorn, Denver; Martín Rios, Restaurant Martín, Santa Fe; Jianyun Ye, Mala Sichuan Bistro, Houston.

Best chef West: Michael Cimarusti, Providence, Los Angeles; Dominique Crenn, Atelier Crenn, San Francisco; Jeremy Fox, Rustic Canyon Wine Bar and Seasonal Kitchen, Santa Monica; Corey Lee, Benu, San Francisco; Ludo Lefebvre, Trois Mec, Los Angeles; Travis Lett, Gjelina, Venice.

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